US3165023A

US3165023A - Musical toy

Info

Publication number: US3165023A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1965-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 1982-01-12

Description

Jan. 12, 1965 G. v. BOYNTON 3,165,023

MUSICAL TOY Filed Dec. 10, 1962 HTIIIITTHUIHIIIHHTI INVENTOR George V. Boynton ind/x,

United States Patent 3,165,623 MUEdiCAL TOY George V. lloynton, 49% San Simeon Way, San Jose, Calif. Filed Dec. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 243,270 6 Claims. (Cl. 844il6) This invention relates to musical toys of the percussion type that produce repetitive sounds by a single movement of a user of the toy.

An object of this invention is to provide a toy that produces a pleasing tone and is simple to operate. This object is obtained by providing a toy with a single upstanding elongated resilient member having a clapper extending into a bell disposed in spaced relation to the resilient member. The resilient member is supported at only one end thereof so that movement of the free end of the resilient member causes the clapper to oscillate within the bell so as to ring the bell. Thus little or no muscular coordination on the part of the user of the device is required, making the device peculiarly suitable for infants.

A feature and advantage of the present invention is that a pleasing visual sensation occurs simultaneously with the aural sensation caused by the bell. This feature and advantage exists because each time the resilient clapper supporting member is displaced and released it vibrates or oscillates. Such movement entices the child to actuate the bell again and again.

Another feature and advantage of the present invention is that bells sized to produce various frequencies can be provided in a unitary structure to enable the user to form elemental note progressions or tunes with the device. This feature enables discovery and development of the musical abilities of a child at an early age.

Yet another feature and advantage is that the toy may be actuated from any point on a 360 degree plane around the resilient member so as to simplify attachment of the bell to a crib and to make easier the sounding of the toy by young infants.

Another object of the invention is to provide a musical toy of the type herein contemplated that may be constructed simply and inexpensively. The foregoing object is fulfilled by constructing a device with conventional springs or rubber tubes, wire, and ordinary round bells. These parts may be assembled simply and rapidly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a musical toy that has no unsafe sharp protruding edges thereon. Attainment of this object is made possible by providing a closed structure in which the bells and associated clappers are installed. The only parts of the toy protruding from the enclosure are the smooth resilient members that are free of any sharp protrusion.

The foregoing objects, features and advantages as well as others will be apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross section elevational view of a part of a musical toy constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross section elevational view of a modi fication of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary portion on an enlarged scale of FIG. 1 showing a modification of the toy.

The musical toy of the present invention generally includes an elongated resilient member A attached at one end thereof to a sound chamber B and having afiixed to the opposite longitudinal end a staff C. The staff has a clapper D on the opposite end thereof adapted to strike a bell E.

Resilient member A is formed of a coil 12 of spring steel wire or the like and is provided at the upper end 3,165,023 Patented Jan. 12, 1965 "ice thereof with a tip 13 of soft flexible material such as rubber or the like. Tip 13 is provided with a skirt 14 that secures the tip onto spring 12; skirt 14 can be extended down to cover the entire spring so as to eliminate danger of pinching between adjacent turns of the spring. The lower end of spring 12 has one or more enlarged turns 15. Chamber B has an upper wall 16 having a plurality of apertures 18 that are adapted to receive the lower end of spring 12. Enlarged turn 15 of the spring affords secure mounting of the spring onto upper walls 16 of sound chamber B.

Staff C can be formed integral with the spring 12 in which case the staff is merely formed as a continuation of the wire of coil 12. Alternatively staff C can be constructcd of a member separate from spring 12 in which case it is suitably aflixed by brazing or soldering to the top of the spring.

The bottom wall of chamber B has mounted thereon a plurality of bells E. Each bell E has a mouth portion and a cannon portion 22. Cannon portion 22 is provided with a hole 24 therethrough for expeditious attachment of a bell to the bottom wall of the chamber. Attachment may be effected in any suitable manner such as by upstanding protuberances 26 sized to be force fitted into hole Sound chamber B is preferably enclosed, and one or more openings 23 can be provided in the chamber sidewalls to alter the tone as desired. Bells E are spaced from one anot er by an amount sufficient to avoid any interference between adjacent bells or between adjacent clappers. Although FIG. 1 shows chamber B with two bells installed therein, it is obvious that only one bell may be provided or that any number of bells may be installed in the chamber.

In operation the top end of spring 12 is displaced transversely as shown at the right hand side of FIG. 1. Sudden release of the free end of spring 12 will cause the spring to oscillate and such oscillating action will be transmitted through staff C to clapper D causing the latter to repetitively strike the interior walls of bell mouth 20.

Because tip 13 of resilient member A can be provided in bright colors, the infant using the device will be fascinated and attracted by the oscillatory motion of the tip that occurs with the sound.

In FIG. 2 a modification of my invention is shown in which resilient member A is formed by an elongated tube of rubber or the like. One end of the resilient member is formed with a flange 32 providing for expeditious mounting of the resilient member to the wall 16 of chamber B. The upper end of tube 30 is provided with a pocket 34 for receipt of a boss 36 formed on the top end of staff C. Tube 30 has a longitudinal opening 38 therein through which staff C passes. As in the embodiment described above staff C is provided with a clapper D that extends into mouth 29 of bell E. The operation of this embodiment of my invention is identical with that described above in that transverse displacement and sudden release of tube 39 causes the tube to oscillate. The oscillatory motion is imparted to the clapper D through the staff C and the bell is thus made to ring. Tube 30 can be brightly colored so as to enhance the appearance of the toy and make it more attractive to a child.

A plurality of different sized bells may be placed in one sound chamber to form an instrument on which simple tunes can be played. In such instrument it is desirable to form each resilient member of a dilferent color to permit ready identification of different tones.

A modification of my invention as depicted in FIG. 3 takes the form of a round fiat washer 40 made of rubber, nylon or similar soft resilient material, mounted on staff C at the point where the stafi passes through aperture 18 in wall 16 of chamber B. Washer 49 can be glued on to staff C or can be force fitted on the staff. Incorporation of a washer of the proper size limits and clamps the oscillatory movement of stafi C so that clapper D will strike bell E only once each time the resilient member is transversely displaced and released. Such modification is desirable when a plurality of bells of different pitches are mounted in one chamber for the purpose of forming a musical instrument and single tones are desired. Addition of the washer 40 also enables mounting of the toy with staff C in a generally horizontal position without requiring extra stiffness in spring 12 to maintain the staff in a horizontal position when not actuated.

While several embodiments of my invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A musical toy comprising a bell defining a mouth, an elongated resilient member formed with an opening longitudinal thereof, means for mounting one end of said resilient member in spaced relation to the ell mouth, said mounting means constituting the sole support for said resilient member, a staff affixed to the opposite end of the resilient member and extending through the longitudinal opening in said resilient member into the bell mouth, said stafi? being sized with respect to the size of the longitudinal opening in said resilient member to afford relative transverse movement therein, and a clapper attached to' the staff within the bell mouth, whereby transverse displacement and release of the resilient member imparts oscillatory motion to the clapper causing it to strike the bell interior.

2. A musical toy comprising a bell defining a mouth, an elongated spring, means for supporting one end of said spring in spaced relation to the mouth, a staff affixed to the non-supported end of the spring extending into the bell mouth, and a clapper attached to the staif within the mouth, said staff extending through the center of the helical spring and having an outer diameter much smaller than the inner diameter of the helical spring to afford relative transverse movement therebetween, whereby displacement and release of the non-supported end of the spring imparts oscillatory motion to the clapper thereby causing it to strike edges of the bell mouth.

3. A musical toy comprising a base, a bell having a cannon and a mouth, means for mounting the bell cannon to the base, an elongated resilient member having a longitudinal hole through the center thereof, means for supporting one end of said resilient member so that the longitudinal hole is disposed axially of said bell mouth, a relatively rigid staff mounted solely on the other end of the resilient member and extending into the bell mouth through the hole in the resilient member, and a clapper mounted on the staff within the bell mouth, whereby displacement of the resilient member end that is remote from the supporting means and sudden release of that end causes oscillatory movement of the clapper so as to repetitively ring the bell.

4. A musical toy comprising a sound chamber having two oppositely disposed walls, at least one bell having a mouth and afiixed to one of said walls interior of said chamber, the opposite wall being formed with an opening in spaced relation to said mouth, an elongated resilient member having an opening longitudinally therethrough mounted at one longitudinal end thereof in spaced relation to the wall opening so that the opening in said resilient member is in communication with said wall opening, said resilient member being mounted so that the non-mounted longitudinal end thereof is disposed exterior of the chamber, a staff attached only to the non-mounted longitudinal end of the resilient member and extending into the bell mouth through the opening in the resilient member and the interior of the sound chamber, and a clapper fixed to the staff within the bell mouth, whereby transverse displacement and sudden release of the non-mounted end of the resilient member causes the staff to oscillate and the clapper to strike the interior of the bell.

5. A musical toy comprising a sound chamber having an upper wall and a lower wall, a plurality of bells mounted on said lower wall interior of said chamber, each said bell having a mouth and being disposed so that the mouth opens toward the upper wall, said upper wall being formed to define an aperture opposite each bell, an elongated resilient member associated with each aperture, each said resilient member being formed with an opening longitudinal thereof and being mounted at one end thereof adjacent each aperture so that the longitudinal opening communicates with the aperture, said resilient member being so disposed that the non-mounted end is exterior of the chamber, a staff affixed to the opposite end of each resilient member and extending through the longitudinal opening thereof through the chamber into the bell mouth, and a clapper fixed to said staff within the bell mouth, whereby transverse displacement and sudden release of the free end of a resilient member causes the clapper associated with the resilient member repetitively to strike the bell associated therewith.

6. A musical toy comprising a sound chamber having two oppositely disposed walls, at least one bell having a mouth and atfixed to one of said walls interior of said chamber, the opposite wall being formed with an opening in spaced relation to said mouth, an elongated resilient member having an opening longitudinally therethrough mounted at one longitudinal end thereof in spaced relation to the wall opening so that the opening in the resilient member is in communication with said wall opening, said resilient member being mounted so that the nonmounted longitudinal end thereof is disposed exterior of the chamber, a staff at ached to the non-mounted longitudinal end of the resilient member and extending into the bell mouth through the opening in the resilient memher and the interior of the sound chamber, a resilient flat Washer afiixed to said staff at the point at which said statf extends through the chamber wall opening, the outer periphery of said Washer being slightly smaller than the wall opening to permit movement of the statf relatively to the opening and a clapper fixed to the stall within the bell mouth, whereby transverse displacement and sudden release of the non-mounted end of the resilient member causes the clapper to strike the interior of the bell at least once.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims

1. A MUSICAL TOY COMPRISING A BELL DEFINING A MOUTH, AN ELONGATED RESILIENT MEMBER FORMED WITH AN OPENING LONGITUDINAL THEREOF, MEANS FOR MOUNTING ONE END OF SAID RESILIENT MEMBER IN SPACED RELATION TO THE BELL MOUTH, SAID MOUNTING MEANS CONSTITUTING THE SOLE SUPPORT FOR SAID RESILIENT MEMBER, A STAFF AFFIXED TO THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RESILIENT MEMBER AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE LONGITUDINAL OPENING IN SAID RESILIENT MEMBER INTO THE BELL MOUTH, SAID STAFF BEING SIZED WITH RESPECT TO THE SIZE OF THE LONGITUDINAL OPENING IN SAID RESILIENT MEMBER TO AFFORD RELATIVE TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT THEREIN, AND A CLAPPER ATTACHED TO THE STAFF WITHIN THE BELL MOUTH, WHEREBY TRANSVERSE DISPLACEMENT AND RELEASE OF THE RESILIENT MEMBER IMPARTS OSCILLATORY MOTION TO THE CLAPPER CAUSING IT TO STRIKE THE BELL INTERIOR.